


Xeleyan Blossom Whiskey

by RedWeezard



Category: The Orville (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, Station AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 22:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17795825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedWeezard/pseuds/RedWeezard
Summary: what if when she left Xeleya, Alara hadn't joined the Planetary Union fleet? Likewise, what if Kelly and Ed's life had taken them in a different direction? What if despite a different life for them all, our crew all ended up in the same place regardless? Welcome to Station 937.





	Xeleyan Blossom Whiskey

**Author's Note:**

> Heya! This is my first time writing for the orville fandom, and only my second published fic ever, so please forgive if anybody seems ooc! I wrote this in a couple hours after bingeing most of The Orville, so any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!!

Alara took a deep breath as she stepped off the shuttle, just taking a moment to stop and stretch her limbs. The recycled air of Station 937 wasn't all that much better than that of the shuttle, but still she was glad to be out of the cramped quarters she had been stuck in for the last half day. She always forgot how much those transports felt like tin cans stuffed full between rides.

Her moment of contemplation was interrupted when another passenger rudely shoved past her, sending Alara stumbling. “Hey, watch it!” she called after the figure, but they hadn't even slowed their stride. She hadn't even been in the flow of traffic! One seemed, Alara thought, to find much ruder people this far out. Station 937 wasn't quite on the edge of the quadrant, but it _was_ far enough out that the chance of encountering another Xeleyan was near zero. In other words it was perfect for her.

Gathering up her bags she set off to find the quartermaster’s office, intent on getting a room and staying at least a couple of days. She had been traveling for the last week and desperately needed to decompress. Plus maybe this station would be the one. 

Alara made her way through the docking bay, weaving through cargo waiting to be loaded and various other passenger shuttles like the one she had just gotten off of. It wasn't too hard to find thankfully, located just outside the main docking area. The Moclan inside seemed amicable enough, if just as straightforward as any of their species, and asked all the standard questions. The process was quick enough and soon they were materializing a temporary resident card for her.

“Length of stay?”

“Undecided. What sort of job postings are open on the station right now?”

“We currently have several positions open in our science division, and one of our teachers is looking for a classroom assistant.” The Moclan answered promptly.

Alara rolled her eyes. They always tried to shove these jobs on her first. “What about anything more physical? A position in Security or maintenance?”

“Are you not a bit frail for those sorts of jobs?” the Moclan asked, eyeing her skinny arms.

“Listen,” Alara's eyes glanced down to the name plaque sitting in front of her, “Klyden, I'm a lot stronger than I look. Trust me.”

Kylden nodded. “Very well. Even so, the station has no such openings as of right now. However, there is a bar on deck 5 looking to hire a bouncer. The Orville, I believe it is called. You may enquire there if you wish.”

Letting off a bright smile Alara thanked Klyden before making her way out of the office. An actual suggestion! And a chance at a job! She was afraid for a moment the Moclan was going to brush her off just like most quartermasters unfamiliar with her species. Apparently Xeleyans weren't nearly as renown as she had been lead to believe, and Alara had been met with disdain more than once when she asked similar questions. 

She weaved her way through the main square of deck 1 which seemed to be mostly dedicated to cargo transport and storage. Navigating through the busy area was a bit of a trial, and even though she had more than enough strength to protect herself Alara found several moments where she felt as if she was about to be crushed, but eventually she found her way to the bank of lifts. The card she had been issued declared that her temporary housing was up on deck 7, so Alara figured she would go drop off what little worldly possessions she had left before doubling back to look for the bar. The next lift available up wasn't _too_  crowded, but it still reminded her too much of the shuttle to be comfortable.

Navigating deck 7 was a bit complicated, but she eventually found where she was going in a side corridor off a side corridor. Hopefully she'd be able to memorize her route to and from the lift bank quickly. The room itself was decent enough, if a little cramped. What else could one really expect from station housing though? Frankly she was just happy enough to have a moment to stop and take a breath. When she had left Xeleya without a plan Alara had hardly expected that she would be on the move quite so much.

Still, she didn't allow herself to stay still for too long. If she _really_  wanted a chance to rest she needed to snap up that bouncer position before anybody else could. Making sure she locked the door behind her Alara started back toward the lifts, keeping an eye out for small details she could use to mark her route.

Deck 5 seemed to purely be a commercial deck with entertainment, restaurants, and trading posts from all sorts of cultures. It was honestly a little overwhelming for Alara. Even if she had been traveling on her own for a bit now, places like these were so different from her home. Sure there were a couple inter-cultural markets in the city near her childhood home, but Xeleyan society was just so...insular.

Once she was done ogling all the different businesses The Orville wasn't that hard to find. The plaza it was in was fairly close to the main thoroughfare but still a little isolated and the outside was almost nondescript, just featuring a little holo biplane above the sign. It was when she pushed past the double doors and through the noise barrier that things started to get interesting. At the bar was a man who looked hysterical, flinging his arms about and shouting. Behind the bar was the woman he was arguing with, arms crossed and looking just as frustrated. Both human, neither looking like they were going to back down.

Alara took a hesitant step forward, and then a couple more with confidence. Maybe this was her chance to impress? Alara waved her hand to catch the woman's attention. “Hey, uh. Is he bothering you? Do you need any help?” She called out.

The pair cut off their argument at her interruption and turned to look at her. The woman let out a huff and replied, “No, thanks, I got it. Actually sorry, but the bar is closed until renovations are complete in a couple days. The door was _supposed_ to be locked.” She gave the man a pointed look. Alara had crossed the room at this point and stopped near the pair, leaning up against the bar. 

Her eyes flicked between them and settled on the woman before saying, “Oh! Um, I'm actually here about the job? As bouncer?”

The woman raised an eyebrow at her before raking her eyes down Alara's form. “No offense hon, but you don't look all that built to be a bouncer.”

Alara wasn't sure if the blush spreading across her cheeks was one of anger or something else, but she took a firm stance and tersely told the woman, “Is there anything in here you don't care about?” 

The woman a gave a shrug and pointed her chin at the man she had been arguing with, who let out a short “Hey!”

Alara gave an awkward cough. “How about something less alive maybe?”

“What about that table over there,” the man said indicating an old one shoved up against one of the walls, “It's going to be recycled anyways since we got the new ones in.”

“I can work with that!” Alara exclaimed, making her way over to it. The table was made of nice solid oak, perfect for a showy demonstration. She took a deep breath before raising both fists and slamming them down on the object. Not even the lacquered top could stop it from bursting into thousands of splinters at the force she had brought to bear. Alara smiled at the pile of matchsticks that was all that was left of the table, and then made her way back to her spot near the pair. 

The two of them were gaping at her, stunned speechless. Alara let the smallest of smirks make its way onto her face

“I'm Xeleyan,” she said matter of factly, “The increased gravitational force of our home planet means that in earth-like gravity our strength is greatly enhanced. That was only a fraction of what I can do.”

“Yeah you ain't kidding.” the man said. He ran his hand through his short brown hair dislodging a few wood splinters. He let out a long sigh before nodding at the woman. “Okay Kelly, you handle this. I've still got a couple calls to make.” With that he walked off around the bar and into the back office.

Alara gave Kelly a confused look and pointed her thumb toward where the man had disappeared. “Oh yeah! That's Ed, we co-own The Orville together.” she said with a wave of her hand.

Alara's eyes went wide. “Oh! Oh my gosh I'm so sorry I offered to kick him out!”

Kelly laugh sweetly, “No don't worry about it, it's fine. Believe me sometimes I _want_  to kick him out.” She held out her hand for Alara to shake. “I’m Kelly Grayson, I don't think I caught your name.”

“Alara Kitan. Pleased to meet you Kelly.” She said with a smile.

“Welcome to Station 937 Alara.” The two stood there smiling at each other, and Alara flushed when she realised how long they had been shaking hands. There was just something Alara found enchanting about this human with her curly blonde hair and bright eyes.

She cleared her throat before asking “So, does that mean I got the job?” A little hopeful, a little nervous.

Kelly gave her a look, let out a low hum. “Yeah, I think it does. Congrats, don't make me regret it.” she said, but she was smiling at Alara nonetheless.

“Awesome, thank you! you definitely won't regret this. When does the bar open back up?”

“Well, it'll be a couple days at least. Until then feel free to take a look around the station, get to know it. There are plenty of great people here. I think you'll fit right in.”

Alara nodded and thanked her again. They exchanged comm codes so that Kelly could send her more specific shift details. After that Alara made her way back out to the plaza, allowing herself to let out a laugh and even do a little dance now that she was out of sight. She did it! A job! She was so happy she could burst. Alara decided she deserved a little treat after that, and happily spent the next couple hours jumping from shop to shop, reveling in this place she could, for now at least, call home.


End file.
